Summary

Mastitis in dairy cows is a multi-causal disease. Animal husbandry is one of the important factors influencing herd udder health. In our study, skin lesion scores and cleanness scores are used as animal-based indicators for husbandry problems. We investigated the impact of husbandry on the prevalence of skin lesions and the correlation between skin lesions, cleanness and udder health in 67 herds joining the Swiss udder health project “pro-Q”. 62.8% of all examined cows had at least one skin lesion. 13% of all cows were seriously dirty. Housing factors, such as dimension and design of the lying area influenced the prevalence of skin lesions significantly. Hard surface, rubber mats, narrow dimensions of lying place, horns, as well as stanchion barns were risk factors for skin injuries. Cleanness and udder health were well correlated, which was not true for skin lesions and udder health. Thus, the cleanness score may be used as an indicator for increased mastitis risk. The skin lesion score can be used as an indicator for husbandry quality.